The meaning of the word courtesan. Who is a courtesan? What does courtesan mean

The word "Courtesan" is often found in European literature. Yes, and in ordinary conversation you can hear the use of this term. But what does it mean? If you love and want to know their meanings, read on.

Who is the Courtesan

Courtesan(French courtisane, Italian cortigiana, originally “court”) is lung woman behavior, revolving in higher secular society and maintained by rich and powerful people.

In other words, courtesans were not ordinary prostitutes, but women whose love affairs with senior officials were often of state importance.

An interesting fact is that in ancient times, instead of the word "courtesan", the ancient Greeks used another term - "hetaera". Courtesans should also be distinguished from kept women and royal favorites - these are slightly different concepts.

It is easy to guess that this term, if possible, was used in order to spoil the reputation of some influential lady. French Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642) was one of the the best craftsmen who use this technique to discredit female political opponents.

The most dexterous European politicians kept influential courtesans on state salaries. In return, they informed the patrons important information about his noble lovers. Then this information was used for blackmail or some other political manipulation.

One of the most famous courtesans early 20th century was. In general, the image of a woman of easy virtue, endowed with power and authority, quite often rose in novels. Honore de Balzac wrote "The Brilliance and Poverty of the Courtesans", Alexandre Dumas son - "The Lady of the Camellias", etc.

who is this courtesan?

1. Courtesan woman of easy virtue, circling in high society leading social life and maintained by rich and powerful lovers. For the period of antiquity, it is customary to use the term geter.
2. A prostitute
3. The Renaissance period is the most magnificent in Italian civilization, a real surge of culture and art. It was then that the word courtesan became synonymous with the word prostitute, and the so-called "honest" courtesans who lived in rich palaces shone not only with their beauty, but also with high culture. Among them are the poetesses Gaspara Stampa and Veronica Franco, as well as the incomparable Imperia, empress of Roman courtesans.

   But, next to the "honest" courtesans, drowning in wealth and universal adoration, there were prostitutes of various classes, whose life was a hard struggle for existence, against humiliation and violence. These women lived in a beautiful and at the same time difficult era, which, on the one hand, pursued them, and on the other, demanded and encouraged this kind of activity.

   Sometimes prostitutes of just about everything are only mentioned, often surrounded by universal adoration, and often thrown into the gorges of hell, but in one form or another, in almost all chronicles, historical sketches and literary works of this period there is a legendary figure of a courtesan. The constant presence of priestesses of love contributed to the creation of the myth of courtesans, which has come down to our days.

   "Honest" Courtesans

   Courtesans fell into two main categories.
   The first included the so-called "honest" courtesans - cortigiane "oneste". Their main characteristic was that they were supported by one or more wealthy patrons, usually from the upper class. The "honest" courtesan had her own certain independence, and had freedom of movement. She's trained in the rules good behavior, knows how to conduct a table conversation, and sometimes is the owner high culture and literary talent.

   At the end of the 15th century in Rome, in connection with the reform of the papal office, various circles appeared where cultural, philosophical and poetic thinking was discussed. To dispel the overly scholarly environment, men need a high-class sorority. There was no question of ladies of the highest words of the Roman nobility, so the choice was made on free women cohabiting with unmarried members of the curia, the most beautiful and educated were selected from them.

   In addition to cultural communication, they performed their direct duties as a prostitute and received the privileged social status of Cortegiana, hoc est meretrix honesta (cortigiana, ovvero prostituta onesta) or "honest" courtesan. Honesty in this case has nothing to do with chastity, but means a bourgeois lifestyle, culture and good manners.

   Thus, "honest" courtesans at the end of the 15th century, thanks to the generous gifts of their patrons, become owners real estate, luxuriate in luxury, and like the most sophisticated princesses arrange daily prima. The craft of courtesans is so profitable that often mothers are ready to spend a lot of money to educate their daughters, hoping to see their child under the "guardianship" of a noble nobleman.

   Indeed, some representatives of this profession led such chic image life in their magnificent palaces, that on one of these primos, the Spanish ambassador, forced to spit, preferred to do it in the face of his servant, so as not to spoil the wonderful carpets of the owner of the house.

   Of course, not all "honest" courtesans had such palaces, but many of them still had well-arranged dwellings. This is evidenced by the decree of the Senate of Venice of 1542, in which prostitutes were forbidden to finish interior decorations rooms with thin silk fabrics, ..

4. Whore
5. A courtesan (fr. courtisane, ital. cortigiana, originally a courtier) is one of the forms of prostitution. Courtesans fell into two main categories. The first included the so-called honest Italian courtesans. cortigiane oneste. Their main characteristic was that they were supported by one or more wealthy patrons, usually from the upper class. An honest courtesan had her own certain independence, and had freedom of movement. She is trained in the rules of good behavior, knows how to conduct a table conversation, and sometimes is the owner of a high culture and literary talent.
6. A woman of easy virtue.

Woman of easy virtue. Dictionary foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. Courtesan mistress of a sovereign person. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Pavlenkov F., 1907 ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

courtesan- and f. courtisane f. , it. curtigiana. A woman of easy virtue and an adventurous lifestyle, revolving in high society. BAS 1. Brigel advises her to become an honest courtesan in order to get out of misery. 1733. Honest courtesan. // It. com. 3… Historical dictionary gallicisms of the Russian language

Demimondenka, geter, lorette, prostitute, cocotte Dictionary of Russian synonyms. courtesan, see prostitute 2 Dictionary of synonyms of the Russian language. Practical guide. M.: Russian language. Z. E. Alexandrova ... Synonym dictionary

courtesan, courtesans, wives. (French courtisane) (book obsolete). A woman of easy virtue, according to her way of life, belongs to the highest, high society getters of society. French courtesans of the 18th century. Dictionary Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov

COURTISAN, and, wives. (outdated). A woman of easy virtue who has patrons in high society. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov

- (French letters, courtier), young, beautiful woman, leading a free, secular lifestyle and surrendering for love or for a reward to her high patrons. (Source: Dictionary of Sexual Terms) … Sexological Encyclopedia

G. A woman of easy virtue, leading a secular life and being supported by rich and influential lovers. Explanatory Dictionary of Ephraim. T. F. Efremova. 2000... Modern explanatory dictionary of the Russian language Efremova

Courtesan, courtesans, courtesans, courtesans, courtesans, courtesans, courtesans, courtesans, courtesans, courtesans, courtesans, courtesans, courtesans (Source: “Full accentuated paradigm according to A. A. Zaliznyak”) ... Forms of words

courtesan- kurtiz anka, i, genus. n. pl. h. nok ... Russian spelling dictionary

courtesan- (1 f); pl. kurtiza / nk, R. kurtiza / nok ... Spelling Dictionary of the Russian Language

Books

• Courtesan Dream Interpretation (Deluxe Edition), Vicente Blasco Ibáñez, Beautifully illustrated deluxe edition bound in genuine Cabra leather with gold embossing on the cover and silk lace. Vicente Blasco Ibanez is one of the biggest… Series: Family Library. Reading room Publisher: Vita Nova,
• Courtesan Dream Interpretation, Ibanez Vincente Blasco, Vicente Blasco Ibanez (1864-1928) - one of the greatest Spanish prose writers of the 20th century. His famous historical novel"Courtesan Dream Interpretation" tells about the siege by the Carthaginian commander ... Series: Family Library. Reading Room Publisher:

The section is very easy to use. In the proposed field, just enter right word, and we will give you a list of its values. It should be noted that our site provides data from different sources- encyclopedic, explanatory, derivational dictionaries. Here you can also get acquainted with examples of the use of the word you entered.

The meaning of the word courtesan

courtesan in the crossword dictionary

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. D.N. Ushakov

courtesan

courtesans, (French courtisane) (book obsolete). A woman of easy virtue, according to her way of life, belongs to the highest, high society getters of society. French courtesans of the 18th century.

Explanatory dictionary of the Russian language. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova.

courtesan

And, well. (outdated). A woman of easy virtue who has patrons in high society.

New explanatory and derivational dictionary of the Russian language, T. F. Efremova.

courtesan

and. obsolete A woman of easy virtue, revolving in high society.

Wikipedia

Courtesan

Courtesan- a woman of easy virtue, rotating in high society, leading a secular life and being supported by rich and influential lovers.

Examples of the use of the word courtesan in the literature.

Never before had Anjou looked so little like a king; now he looked more like courtesan.

You have to be richer than the king courtesan she understood that she had been given a gift - but even if you gave her half the world, she would thank herself, praise her for her luck and be proud of the beauty and cunning thanks to which you forked out so much.

Actresses, debutantes, maids, adventurers, courtesans- in 1847-1850 he seemed to be tormented by an insatiable desire.

Iago, Othello's adjutant Rodrigo, Venetian nobleman Doge of Venice Senators Montano, Othello's predecessor in governing Cyprus Gratiano, Brabantio's brother Lodovico, Brabantio's relative Jester, Otello's servant Desdemona, Otello's wife Emilia, Iago Bianca's wife, courtesan Sailor, messenger, herald, officers, nobles, musicians and servants Location: Venice and Cyprus.

So, perhaps, Glikeria Andreevna is not only a recluse, but also courtesan?

What do you think, Mrs. courtesan with lotus feet, accepting courteous visitors?

If they forbid love but not sex, then they are a license to promiscuity, a license from which some sailors and soldiers and vagabonds take full advantage, and which prostitutes and courtesans used to ensure existence.

Neither the dear cheerfulness of a ruddy-cheeked peasant woman, nor the serpentine grace of a dancer, nor the languidly weakening wave of the hand courtesans nor the charm of the fading autumn garden, nor the sunset, spread out in a purple cloak over the lake - none of these colors would be needed to paint her portrait.

The Spanish Mad King, and broken beer bottles will be cemented into these walls so that no one can ever get into the girth of her legs except for the Sultan's penis, he will only touch the juices that she is now expiring, and then go to his grave in which there will be no juices, and soon there will be no juices left in her grave after those dark juices that are so valued by worms disappear, then dust, dust atoms, and whether these atoms will be dust atoms or atoms of thighs and vaginas and penises, what difference does it make, all this is the Ship of Heaven - The whole world roars here in this theater, and looking far away I see innumerable mourning humanity whimpering in the candlelight, and Jesus on the Cross, and Buddha sitting under the Bo tree, and Mohammed in a cave, and a snake, and the sun rising high, and all the Akkadian-Sumerian antiquities, and antique ships taking away courtesan Elena away to contractions last war, and the broken glass of tiny infinity is so tiny that there is nothing left but the snow-white light of the squaw penetrating everywhere

Let geisha entertain only the minds and cheer up men with their beauty, grace and artistry, and courtesans satisfy the body with their beauty, grace and the same artistry.

This is a rather banal story about courtesan, which returns the purity of her love for a chaste and strict young man.

You yourself know that a harlot - it was courtesan who held the saloon.

Mateo Colon was appointed head of the Department of Surgery, the University became a brothel where peasant women come and go, courtesans.

beautiful courtesan, Eutibida, a Greek woman, reclined on purple soft cushions in the interview room in her house on Sacred Street, near the temple of Janus.

Just this gladiator who despised her was the only person, to which she had some feeling, and then a whim courtesans gradually and imperceptibly grew into real passion, terrible and dangerous, because it burned in a vicious soul.

Today, the word "courtesan" is most often used in a disparaging sense and, in fact, is a milder version of the concept of "prostitute". At the same time, this term originally had the meaning of “court”, and then began to denote the occupation of some. It is wrong to assume that a courtesan is just a woman of easy virtue, first of all, she is a muse, a man's friend and his interesting interlocutor.

How did courtesans differ from other women?

Courtesans are beautiful, intellectually developed and gifted with all sorts of talents, the connection with which was prestigious for any man. That is why relations with courtesans were most often tied up by rich, noble and influential representatives of the stronger sex. Members of the royal family were no exception to this, because marriages among the august persons were arranged by calculation, often between relatives. In those days, it was not considered shameful to be married to one woman, but to appear together on official receptions completely different.

Courtesans favorably differed from ordinary women also by the fact that in addition to relations with men, they were engaged in some kind of parallel activity. Often these were educated persons from good families, and they were engaged in music-making, painting, had a penchant for foreign languages or were talented dancers. This circumstance made them, on the one hand, financially independent, and on the other hand, expanded their social circle and provided an opportunity to get to know a potential patron.

The most famous courtesans - who are they?

Some courtesans married men who were not their clients, but, on the contrary, were below their chosen ones on the social ladder. Thus, they raised the status of their husbands. But more often than not, the courtesan remained unmarried, while never being alone.